Today, the Story Empire Roadshow takes me to visit author P. H. Solomon, while I host author Harmony Kent. I’m so glad to have her here for the first time. Let’s give her a warm welcome. Take it away, Harmony!

Hello, everyone, Harmony Kent here. Welcome to my tour stop on the Story Empire Roadshow. First of all, I would like to give Staci a huge thank you for hosting me today.

Over the last three days, we’ve looked at why I write and what I write. Today, I thought we’d do a bit of exploring around the murky world I created out of The Forest of Dean, the setting for my mystery/thriller, The Glade. And, remember, throughout this week, I’m offering Kindle deals on some of my books, so keep checking in for details of which books and when the discounts are happening. The most prolific commenter at the end of the tour will get to choose ONE copy of any TWO of my ebooks!

A Tour Around The Forest of DeanThe Forest of Dean makes for one of the last surviving ancient woodlands in the UK. It covers about 42 square miles in roughly a triangular plateau in the western part of Gloustershire in England. Deciduous and evergreen trees populate the forest, predominantly oak, while Beech and Sweet Chestnut have grown here for many centuries.

While researching for my book, The Glade, it delighted me to not only come across the Standing Stone, but also the abundance of Ley Lines. Well, this got my imagination going at warp speed, I can tell you. And not only my imagination, either. The Harry Potter movies used the Forest of Dean for much of their filming, not to mention countless other films set in this historic forest.

The tall stone is known as the Staunton Standing Stone. This Stone stands by the side of the A4136 about 1 mile from Staunton in the direction of Christchurch. It stands proudly amongst the trees and bushes alone of its kind in this area.

It is said that if you prick this stone at midnight it bleeds. (Mwaahaaahaaaha.)

In my story, I took certain liberties. For instance, I … err … moved the stone to a quiet glade and had it built into the cottage as the cornerstone. And, it’s not too far from the truth, as before the road got put in, this stone did stand in an incredibly isolated spot. So, I’m … err … just a ‘tad’ behind the times!

And, of course, The Glade and forest that came out of my imagination, prove a lot scarier than the real forest …

As promised, one of my books, The Glade, is on a Kindle Countdown Deal for today only. Grab it for just 0.99! Amazon US and Amazon UK. Offer ends at 11:00 pm local time.

My latest book, Moments, is available on pre-order on Amazon. Pre-order HERE (US) and HERE (UK). This is a collection of short stories and poetry that touches upon death, grieving, war, fresh starts, hope, courage, change, choices, and encouragement. Take a moment to delve into tales from the dark side, have fun with fantasy, dabble in dystopia, and court danger in a little science fiction.

I’d love to hear what some of your favourite places are, as well as those that have left you utterly spooked. Thanks so much for stopping by!

This was Harmony’s first time here, and she totally rocked her post. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a prize from her. Then visit all the other Story Empire blogs to continue the tour and enter to win more great prizes!

Natalie, Harmony… thank you for the kind words. Hosting Harmony (and all the other Story Empire authors) has been my pleasure this week. I’m glad you’ve been stopping by Natalie. Thanks for the support.

Isn’t that stone similar to a couple of stones found at Stonehenge? When you touch them they seem to be warm even if the weather is cold outside. England has many such mysterious places, a great source of inspiration. The story sounds right my alley, then. Best of luck with the rest of the tour, Harmony!

I first heard of ley lines while reading The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater – that, along with the fact that part of Harry Potter was filmed in this forest means I obviously need to visit. Got my copy of The Glade, Harmony! Seriously – you guys are killing my TBR this week.

The standing stone is just so cool, Harmony, and I bet the actual forest must feel “old.” I read The Glade last year and found it creepy indeed! Like many here, I’m a Potter fan, so the tidbit about filming in the forst was icing on a great post!

When I read Forest of Dean in the title of the post, Harry Potter’s disastrous camping experience immediately came to my mind (potterhead through and through).
It seems like a beautiful and peaceful place, even if as a setting can be more disquieting.
Great post, as usual!